When I look out my Window …
I know my last newsletter was about the weather, but seems this one will start off that way as well.
While the Ballina coast and Hinterland seemed to have a very wet weekend, with some road closures the storms moved quickly away. Unfortunately they out stayed their welcome in the mid north coast with thousands stranded in and around that area. Let’s hope the rain goes out to sea and that region can start mopping up.
Website Visitors
Tourism Ballina’s promotional campaign seems to be continuing to work with again a massive number of visitors to our websites during March. A new website for the villages hinterland is underway and if you have any material that you think might suit contact Dave Secretary Tourism Ballina.
TV Campaign
We are well into planning out next television campaign but need your help. As you are aware, we have generally funded this campaign from members’ funds .
The last promotion has just finished running in Toowoomba and Tamworth with the help of some funding from Ballina Shire Council which we matched on a dollar for dollar basis.
Our next promotion is planned leading up to the next school holiday break and we are asking you to help with this promotion. We will match what you donate on a dollar for dollar basis and want to again broadcast into Toowoomba and Tamworth. As well we want to bring the campaign back into the tweed/Ballina/Grafton/Tenterfield region to help boost local knowledge of what this marvellous region has to offer. Contact Dave Secretary Tourism Ballina. if you would like to help us.
Lennox Head Chamber Breakfast.
Following on from a presentation at the Alstonville Wollongbar Chamber, Tourism Ballina are the guest speakers and presenters at the Lennox Business with Breakfast on Wednesday April 8th Lennox Surf Club @ 7am sharp. If you want to see and hear what we have been doing with helping to promote our region, contact info@lennoxchamber.com.au and book your seat.
We hope to be presenting to the Ballina Chamber over the next few months.
Earth Hour
Lennox Head led the charge in this region during earth hour with the highest drop in electricity used last Saturday night. The coastal village took out the prize for saving the most energy during Earth Hour, a global event designed to raise awareness about energy consumption and climate change. Country Energy measured energy consumption at its substations across the Northern Rivers, which revealed Lennox Head residents cut energy consumption by 7.7 per cent, compared with the previous Saturday night. Well done.
Take a beak
Have you some unused leave?
Tourism Australia is targeting “leave stockpilers” with a $1.6 million campaign, urging them to go on holiday, encouraging people to take their 123 million days of accrued leave, if not for their own health then for the economy. The Government estimates there is $33 billion in accumulated leave.
This campaign signals a shift by tourism officials to prop up the $65 billion domestic tourism sector as the number of overseas visitors slows. This year international visitors will fall 4.1 per cent, or about 219,000, to 5.3 million, Tourism Australia predicts.
Local accommodation places have told us that the next school holidays is well booked, but there are still some vacancies, so why not take them up and enjoy some time away from work and home down here at the Ballina Coast and Hinterland.
Virgin Blue is getting in on the act and advertising nationwide to come to Ballina Byron.
Let’s hope they do!
This is no April Joke
Digital and Virtual Environments, a website and digital design business based in Lennox is offering a 10% discount for members of Tourism Ballina this month of April. So with Tourism Ballina membership prices at half price at present, this is an opportunity too good to miss. see www.dave.net.au or phone 66192470.
Another of our members Local Artist TV Arts Presenter, and Experienced Tutor, Anna Niblic Heggie, will soon be running Art Workshops in the local area.
Anna has been running workshops in Brisbane for Brisbane Arts Workshops and other Artists’ Groups. She has a strong exhibition background in Drawing, Painting and Photographic Media as well as being a highly skilled and experienced teacher.
The upcoming workshop in May will be a sketching and Painting Workshop featuring “Working from the Landscape ‘en plein air’ (outdoors) and in ‘l’atelier’ (studio)”.
This workshop will cater for the beginner to advanced student.
See Anna’s website for more information.
Contact Anna: niblic@niblic.com or ring 0266192470 for more details.
The Gold Coast airport might have a sign that says Go Right and Visit the North Coast.
But according to Jeanette Mangleson-Henry, a long time resident of this region in this following poem that she penned after returning on a flight from Sydney.
Go Left Mate
G’day mate where’re ya going?
Where’re ya flying today?
I told him I’m checking out Byron,
My first trip north to the Bay.
Next thing we’re lined up together.
Me and my mate I just met.
We seemed like birds of a feather.
As we boarded our Virgin jet,
He said he was off to Ballina,
Ballina by the sea
And the more he talked about Ballina,
The better it sounded to me.
His town has a river and beaches,
And the wharf in the town is quite new.
The motels and camp sites are spotless,
Sounds great for my fussy crew.
Even luxury five-star apartments,
That the top-end highfliers pursue.
So when we arrived at the airport,
At Ballina not Byron by gee!
I decided to see my mate’s hometown.
This place where he lives by the sea.
I avoided the Byron Bay Signage
Rushed straight outside and was free.
And instead of ‘turn right at the highway,
Turned left like my mate, lucky me!
‘Cause it’s wrong to be taking a right turn,
When Ballina’s minutes away.
Go left mate: he was right mate.
I enjoyed the best place to stay.
(PS Still no effective signage to Ballina from the airport.)
Remember be part of this region’s promotional campaign. Forward this newsletter using the link at the bottom or join Tourism Ballina so that you may benefit from our promotional activities.
See our Ballina Postcard Blog for some of the comments and why not add your own support or comment there.
Do you have something to say about our wonderful region?
Send your comments to Dave Secretary Tourism Ballina or post them on our POSTCARD BLOG www.tourismballina.com.au/postcards
And Remember,
Half Price Membership
for the rest of this financial year.
Cheers
Dave Heggie
Secretary Tourism Ballina